Hebrews5
New King James Version
1For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.
3Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.
4And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
5So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”
6As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”;
7who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,
8though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
9And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,
10called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,”
11of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
14But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Hebrews 5.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The office and duty of a high priest abundantly answered in Christ. (1–10). The Christian Hebrews reproved for their little progress in the knowledge of the gospel. (11–14).
vv1-10
The High Priest must be a man, a partaker of our nature. This shows that man had sinned. For God would not suffer sinful man to come to him alone. But every one is welcome to God, that comes to him by this High Priest; and as we value acceptance with God, and pardon, we must apply by faith to this our great High Priest Christ Jesus, who can intercede for those that are out of the way of truth, duty, and happiness; one who has tenderness to lead them back from the by-paths of error, sin, and misery. Those only can expect assistance from God, and acceptance with him, and his presence and blessing on them and their services, that are called of God. This is applied to Christ. In the days of his flesh, Christ made himself subject to death: he hungered: he was a tempted, suffering, dying Jesus. Christ set an example, not only to pray, but to be fervent in prayer. How many dry prayers, how few wetted with tears, do we offer up to God! He was strengthened to support the immense weight of suffering laid upon him. There is no real deliverance from death but to be carried through it. He was raised and exalted, and to him was given the power of saving all sinners to the uttermost, who come unto God through him. Christ has left us an example that we should learn humble obedience to the will of God, by all our afflictions. We need affliction, to teach us submission. His obedience in our nature encourages our attempts to obey, and for us to expect support and comfort under all the temptations and sufferings to which we are exposed. Being made perfect for this great work, he is become the Author of eternal salvation to all that obey him. But are we of that number?
vv11-14
Dull hearers make the preaching of the gospel difficult, and even those who have some faith may be dull hearers, and slow to believe. Much is looked for from those to whom much is given. To be unskilful, denotes want of experience in the things of the gospel. Christian experience is a spiritual sense, taste, or relish of the goodness, sweetness, and excellence of the truths of the gospel. And no tongue can express the satisfaction which the soul receives, from a sense of Divine goodness, grace, and love to it in Christ.
Key Words
γάρ (gár): properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles)
πᾶς (pâs): all, any, every, the whole
ἀρχιερεύς (archiereús): the high-priest (literally, of the Jews, typically, Christ); by extension a chief priest
λαμβάνω (lambánō): while G138 (αἱρέομαι) is more violent, to seize or remove))
ἐκ (ek): literal or figurative; direct or remote)
ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos): from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι)); man-faced, i.e. a human being
καθίστημι (kathístēmi): to place down (permanently), i.e. (figuratively) to designate, constitute, convoy
ὑπέρ (hypér): "over", i.e. (with the genitive case) of place, above, beyond, across, or causal, for the sake of, instead, regarding; with the accusative case superior to, more than
πρός (prós): a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated)
θεός (theós): figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very
Cross References
Hebrews 5Directly quoted to demonstrate that Christ's priesthood is grounded in His divine Sonship.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Directly quoted to establish Christ's eternal priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels Christ's capacity for sympathy with human infirmities, though He remains without sin.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Establishes the Aaronic call as the pattern of divine appointment to the high priesthood.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Illustrates Christ's Gethsemane agony, offering prayers with strong crying and tears.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The Mosaic law providing sacrifices specifically for sins of ignorance and straying.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Shows contrast: Aaronic high priests must first offer sacrifices for their own sins.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Further elaborates on the contrast of Levitical priests offering sacrifices daily for themselves.
Supported by JFB
Confirms that Christ did not seek His own glory, but was glorified by the Father.
Supported by JFB
The historical OT origin of Melchizedek, key to the author's argument on priesthood.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Discusses the fittingness of God making the Captain of salvation perfect through suffering.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallels the rebuke of spiritual immaturity requiring milk rather than solid food.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Illustrates the severe judgment for usurping the priesthood without a divine call.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Underlines Christ's voluntary submission and active obedience to God's will.
Supported by JFB
Parallels spiritual babies requiring the sincere milk of the word to grow.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Identifies the first principles as belonging to the 'oracles of God' given to Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole